Forrest Run Pet Cremation & Memorial Tribute Center Blog

Pet cemetery-Former local funeral director now serves animal owners

Former local funeral director Pat Fahrenkrug has turned his Forrest Run Pet Cemetery near Sherwood into a full-time occupation. This cat travelled in the family’s motor home and is thus remembered. Faye Burg photos By Faye Burg TC News correspondent Available for pet owners any time of the day and night, a local pet cemetery service is making a huge impact for area pet lovers. Forrest Run began on five acres in 1984 when two business owners came together to make an idea a reality. Bob Wittmann operated a nursery and landscaping business on what was once a farm in the Sherwood area. Partnering with Jim Gavaert, the gentlemen took a five-acre parcel of the property to devote to a pet cemetery with great success. The idea took hold when Gavaert was a young man visiting his mother's home with his dog. When something unexpected happened to the dog during the visit, Gavaert buried the dog on his mother's property. Ten years later he revisited the neighborhood where his mother had lived and found houses built. After wondering what had happened to his dog, Gavaert came up with the idea of a pet cemetery with the hopes that this experience would not happen to others. In 2004, Pat Fahrenkrug purchased Forrest Run and with the help of his office assistant Jill Frassetto, Fahrenkrug has turned the pet cemetery into a full-time profession. Consistent growth A former funeral director, Fahrenkrug has seen consistent growth at Forrest Run which now services 15 veterinary clinics and two humane associations located from Chilton and the Fox Valley to Oshkosh. Catering to walk-in clients as well, Fahrenkrug's utmost concern is top quality service and compassion for his clients. "Forrest Run is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week," Fahrenkrug said. "Saturdays and Sundays tend to be very busy times for us. If someone's pet passes on a weekend and they do not know what to do, they call us and we help them out." "As a former funeral director, we always say death doesn't take a holiday," Fahrenkrug added. "It doesn't with pets either. We are always available and on call." The only active pet cemetery in the area, Forrest Run offers plots for purchase in the cemetery and pet cremation. Family plots are also available on the one acre currently in use on the sight. Fahrenkrug personally digs each grave by hand. Room for growth "Three sections of the cemetery are undeveloped at this time," Fahrenkrug said. "We also have a pond on the property." Forrest Run offers private and group cremation options for grieving pet owners. "Private cremation is where the individual pet is cremated and returned to the owner," Fahrenkrug explained. "It is 100 percent guaranteed to be your pet. We use stainless steel I.D. tags so no pet goes unidentified at any time." Group cremation occurs when owners decide to cremate their pet along with other pets. "These are not returned to the owner," Fahrenkrug said. "They are buried in the Companion Garden at Forrest Run." According to Fahrenkrug, 90 percent of his clients choose cremation over burial. Visitors are welcome and Fahrenkrug said many people do spend time at the garden. "We also have a Memorial Wall available where people may include their pet's name," Fahrenkrug added. According to Fahrenkrug, some area cities have ordinances that prohibit pet burial in yards. "It is important to think about how long you will stay at your home," Fahrenkrug said. "And if you are would you be OK with leaving your pet there?" Reburied at Forrest Run Fahrenkrug has had clients sell their home and remove their pets from the original burial place for cremation or burial at Forrest Run. With two crematories on site including a brand new unit, Forrest Run can handle more capacity than in the past. "People's pets seem to be getting larger," Fahrenkrug said. "Our largest cremation was a 240-pound dog." Cremation is not limited to dogs as Fahrenkrug has an impressive list of pets from hamsters, gerbils and birds, to goats and sheep that have been cremated at Forrest Run. "Our most unusual cremation was a tarantula," Fahrenkrug said. "The largest pet buried in the cemetery is a horse." "A large part of our business is people who do not have kids," Fahrenkrug said. "We have a lot of people that this is their family and we treat them that way. We have funeral services for pets including visitations and graveside services." "People will tell us they are having a harder time with their pet's death than they did with their grandmother or parent," Fahrenkrug added. Looking for guidance Frassetto said families that come to Forrest Run are looking for guidance. "People really look to us for something to say that will help them get through this." As they are both pet lovers themselves, Fahrenkrug and Frassetto find it easy to relate to their client's grief. "It can be really sad," Fahrenkrug said. Yearly updates keep Forrest Run in top condition inside and out. "The cemetery itself is a lot of work," Fahrenkrug said. "We invest a lot of money back into the business." Numerous plot markers and monuments are available for families to choose from as well as caskets and urns. New jewelry items that allow small amounts of cremated remains to be incorporated into the jewelry piece are also a popular choice for pet owners. Fahrenkrug finds his profession extremely rewarding. "The satisfaction of helping a family through the loss of a pet and helping them through a difficult time is very rewarding. It's no different than when I was a funeral director." "People are so thankful," Frassetto added. "They thank us for being here and for helping them get through the loss of their pet." Fahrenkrug and Frassetto remember a special couple that has a total of eight cats buried at Forrest Run. "When they got a cat they would call and purchase a plot right away," Fahrenkrug said. "They would have a visitation, service and burial for each cat." Each year since 2006 Forrest Run has held a special Pet Memorial Service with many clients choosing to attend the event every year to commemorate the lives of their pets. Thanks to a perpetual care fund, the pet cemetery will always be in existence, according to Fahrenkrug. "That trust fund is in place to make sure that this place is always here and pet owners do not have to worry." "We are always going to be here," Fahrenkrug said. "The pets will always rest peacefully." Forrest Run is located at W5123 Natures Way Drive, Sherwood. For more information on pet burial and cremation including prices, the pet cemetery has a Web site located at Forrestrun.com and a Facebook page, www.facebook.com/forrestrunpetcremation. Fahrenkrug can be reached at (920) 989-2600.